The Swarm
'' |image= |series= |production=40840-149 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Mike Sussman |director=Alexander Singer |imdbref=tt0708989 |guests=Carole Davis as Giuseppina Pentangeli, Steven Houska as Chardis and Robert Picardo as Diagnostic Hologram |previous_production=Remember |next_production=Future's End Part 1 |episode=VGR S03E04 |airdate=25 September 1996 |previous_release=(VGR) The Chute (Overall) Apocalypse Rising |next_release=False Profits |story_date(s)=50252.3 (2373) |previous_story= The Chute Remember |next_story= Apocalypse Rising Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places }} Summary Voyager discovers a ship with only one survivor. It tells of how the aliens covered every square meter of the ship, sucking out all the energy and killing the crew. The alien then dies of its injuries. Voyager tries to get through the swarm's space but something is slowing them down. Phaser fire directed at the enemy is rebounded right back at them. Finally Kim finds a weakness. Each ship is connected in a lattice. Voyager concentrates fire on one ship, destroying it. Dozens of other ships are destroyed, driving the Swarm away. Meanwhile, the holographic Doctor's program begins to malfunction. Kes and Torres transfer the Doctor to the holodeck and call up the EMH diagnostic program. The Doctor's program is threatening to degrade completely. The crew discovers they have the option of re-initialising the Doctor if it comes down to it, but this would result in the loss of everything he had learned in the past two years. While the Doctor is fine with this, as he does not wish to sacrifice the health and security of the crew, others, particularly Kes, do not wish to see the man the Doctor had become go away. The diagnostic program itself is not pleased with the entire situation for many reasons. It notes that the Doctor was supposed to be off-line during its off time, not expanding his program, such as with his opera studies. The extra memory caused by all this is part of the problem. In fact, EMHs are supposed to only have 1500 hours of operation. The diagnostic program tells of an alternative to rebooting the Doctor entirely, but it involves a layover at McKinley Station. He is informed that the station is on the other side of the galaxy. Later, the diagnostic program expresses frustration over the situation, after all, it is perfectly content being the program it is. In the end, the diagnostic program willingly sacrifices itself, using its matrices to support the Doctor's failing ones. This means the ship would no longer have a diagnostic system at all but it is better than the alternative, or so it seems. The Doctor is restored but acts exactly as he had when he was first activated. Moments later, while treating Torres's headache, he begins to hum opera. Errors and Explanations Nit Central # DonnaL on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 10:27 am: What bugs me about this episode is how Janeway blatantly violates this races' space, even goes against Starfleet policy, with no regrets ever expressed. And when they start running into trouble, does she even consider turning around and heading back out? They may have travelled too far into Swarm territory for that. # Mirror Kirk on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 5:05 pm: I cringe at her line. "I'm not adding a year to this crew's trip because some bully does not like people tresspassing into their space." Bully? How about sovereignty. Voyager was the bully when they invaded Swarm space. Jwb52z on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 9:35 pm: Any species that attacks ships just because they don't want you in their territory is a bully, no matter how you look at it. Janeway had a right to go through their space in that case. No one can own space because it has no physical borders. They should set up a "defense perimeter" if they don't want "their space" violated. ScottN on Saturday, May 13, 2000 - 12:53 am: They did set up a perimeter. Voyager had to work to get through it. Jwb52z on Saturday, May 13, 2000 - 10:36 am: ScottN: I meant one that no one could get through, like an energy field or physical barrier. # Who knows on Saturday, May 13, 2000 - 1:54 pm: At the end of Year of Hell Part 2. The Krenim came to Voyager and said "This is our space do not enter." Janeway replied "Okay we will respect your territory." There was no difference between the Swarm saying not to enter and Krennim refusing them entrance.''R W F Worsley (Notanit) on Friday, December 29, 2017 - 11:05 am: '' The encounter with the swarm here may have prompted Janeway into agreeing to stay out of Krennim space at the end of Year of Hell Part 2 # Anonymous on Friday, February 02, 2001 - 8:34 am: Another thing I HATED about this episode was Janeway saying she'll help the Doctor, but then not allowing Torres and Kim to look at him, even though the Doc they know & love will be no more. Her reasoning for this: Torres & Kim are busy with The Swarm. If Janeway truly cared for the Doctor's well being, she'd have Torres & Kim look at him BEFORE dealing with the Swarm. muas on Friday, April 27, 2001 - 10:58 pm: Not saying I agree with it, but I think her line of reasoning was 'Work to save the entire crew before just one'. # Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Sunday, July 15, 2001 - 3:16 am: Neelix has heard of these territorial aliens before, but he never thought to warn the ship about them? What kind of guide is he and why didn't any of the crew think to ask him about dangerous areas of the Delta quadrant to avoid? Is it Starfleet policy to stick their heads up their hindquarters and fly blind? ''Jwb52z on Sunday, July 15, 2001 - 10:33 pm:''Do you always give info when you don't need to do so? He didn't know if they'd ever be in that part of the quadrant until they were there. # Why would a Hologram need to sterilize his/it's hands? The Doctor's solidity is a result of computer-projected force fields. Drop the force field and any germs on them fall to the floor. In which case they would still be present! # Wouldn't the Doctor's memory of the last two years be on file? Don't 24th century computers make backups in case of a problem? They would also be on Voyager, and equally susceptible to damage. Notes Category:Episodes Category:Voyager